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I wanted a big wide-screen monitor and I really only had two options- the L2335 and the new Dell 24". While I would have liked the extra inch on the dell, the L2335 is so big it barely matters. And they do the same resolution.

The response time on this monitor is simply amazing. I went from a 21" Sony CRT which I really liked, to this. I was apprehensive about gaming on the thing, but the first time I ran Counterstrike I was at ease. There's such a small amount of ghosting that you can't even tell it's an LCD - except for the fact that the picture, colors, and sharpness are unbelievable. I've played every FPS and racing game I could find on this thing, and all of them run beautifully. Honestly, guys. Once you use the L2335 you won't even remember the words response time. It's that good.

The warranty on this monitor is almost as good as the monitor itself! HP lists this item as a business item - so the support is better. Three year no questions asked replacement. I had a few dead pixels on the screen, so I called HP and asked what I could do. They shipped me out a new one with no credit card number, I got it in two days (and while I had both for a couple days I just *had* to hook them both up at once, holy crap! I need to buy another one of these soon!) and put my old one in the box, slapped the label it came with over the old one, and dropped it off at the UPS store. It couldn't be easier.

The inputs on the monitor are great too. Composite, S-Video, Component, DVI, and VGA. Unlike the review by Anandtech, I had exceptional results using a standard VGA cable. Perfect picture - although not quite as bright as when on DVI. But no bleeding, no artifacts, nothing. Sharp, clear picture. This would vary a lot depending on your video card and cable. On DVI, it works perfectly. I connected my XBox to the screen with the HD cable, and it looks great! Set the Xbox to use "Widescreen" and even games that run at 480p (most games) will still adjust for the aspect ratio. XBox Media Player at 1080i looks sharp and perfect.

The monitors scaling abilities are great. When using lower then 1920x1200 resolutions, it scales the picture very well - the picture is very clean and crisp. It looks better then my friends' 19" Samsung LCD.

You can also tilt the screen on axis into landscape mode. While the picture isn't as clear when it's sideways (as is true with any LCD) it still looks sharp and bright. It's pretty cool for viewing web pages or documents!

The only one thing that I would like improvement on is the black levels - it doesn't get as black as I would like. However, even while watching a DVD on the monitor or playing Doom 3, it's not a big issue.

I just can't say enough good things about this screen. It really is a gem for gamers.

(PS. The new "consumer" version of this screen uses the same LCD, but the warranty isn't as good and it has speakers built in. Who wants speakers built into their screen? I don't. But I guess it would be good if you wanted to use the screen as a TV.)
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Hi, Im curious about the differences in the Business HP L2335 ( reviewed here on ANandtech ) and the HP f2304 listed in their Home shopping website....the specs look the same and the f2304 is $799 after an instant and mail in rebate!!

I have an L2335, they've been out for a long time, much longer than the dell offering, fyi.

Dell owners need to stop taking this review as a slam on their purchase. They're both great displays. The money on was well spent on your Dell panel, fear not.

I use the component inputs on my L2335 too, but I use them for game consoles. Whenever I don't feel like turning on the projector, I game on the L2335 instead.

CRTs aren't hands down better than LCD, and they never have been. One great example is geometry. The geometry on an LCD is perfect, out of the box, and forever. CRTs almost never have perfect geometry out of the box, and require calibration to approach it---calibration that has to be redone if you move a larger CRT. They're(LCD) also much easier on the eyes, especially for those of us who have to look at multiple screens on multiple machines day after day after day. As a UNIX consultant, I'm happy LCD has taken over because CRTs were giving me bad eye strain and I was tired of calibrating every CRT I sat down in front of, often multiple times.

CRTs have traditionally had better color reproduction and of course no significant latency in gaming. The color issue is becoming less of one with each generationg, and the same can be said for panel latency.

I'd stick with a CRT if I was making money involving color pro/repro work, especially if I had to make my own prints, but that would be it.Reply

Yeah have just bought a Dell 2405 1920x1200 recently and it's a shame I didn't know about this monitor beforehand just so I could have more choice. I am v happy with the Dell but echo others' sentiments that I did not get a very clear impression of how this HP compares to the Dell (I know there were a couple of references but they were opaque at best ie anandtech did the comparison from memory, rather than side-by-side analysis). If the HP is too slow for gaming purists than my Dell should definitely be according to this article but I am v happy with it (play CS Source etc).Reply

Does anyone know if the HP monitor in the review (the business-oriented L2335) is functionally the same as the HP Pavilion f2304 23" retail channel monitor? The specs look similar, but the stands are different and the f2304 includes speakers. Reply

You are still wrong. A TFT need 12-14bits resolution per colour channel to be able to resolve the same levels as a CRT monitor.

The reason is simply because a TFT is linear in its response whereas a CRT is not (Gamma). The TFT must compensate for the gamma curve, which requires up to 14bits resolution (or more if you use higher gamma than 2.2).

So, these 14 bit LCDs/TFTs are the only ones getting _CLOSE_ to CRT native colour resolution. A CRT is inherently analogue too, which means it can utilize the 10bit resolution per channel that many modern graphics cards can produce (Matrox, ATi). Remember this is 10bit is with the gamma compensation already applied. For a TFT to reach the same resolution they would need much more than 14bits!Reply

Just wanted to add that one of the biggest games of the summer, Battlefield 2, does not properly support widescreen.

The best it can do is basically a zoomed 4:3 image which results in a display with the top and bottom parts of the picture chopped off. This means that widescreen users actually see less than standard 4:3 screen users.Reply

Hmm...interesting. I was definitely ready to buy the 2405...no way to really compare the two, huh? I game, but nothing crazy, and just want a nice big screen. Probably save the $300 and get a nvidia 7800 instead of the 6800... =)Reply

"Also keep in mind that a 21" Trinitron has about the same viewable area of a 19" or 20" LCD."

Mostly true, but you need to specify whether its widescreen or not, since you lose a bit of area on a widescreen display.

Screen area on a standard 4:3 display with a 20" viewable diagonal is 192 in^2.
Screen area on a widescreen 16:10 display with a 20" viewable diagonal is only 180 in^2. (If I haven't managed to screw up the math...)

If I were being pessimistic on your statement, a 19" widescreen would have a bit over 160 in^2, while a CRT with a 20" viewable diagonal would have 192 in^2. I wouldn't consider that "about the same".

The other thing that some people need to consider is whether you'll be displaying a lot of 4:3 content, in which case you throw away annother 20% of your viewable area to black bars along the side (unless you fill it out and distort the image). Admittedly, this isn't a huge factor for computer use, since most gaming and desktop resolutions can be adjusted to be correct, but its something to consider if you know you're going to be doing a lot of picture viewing or have video sources that are fixed at 4:3.Reply

But most engines stretch or clip a 4:3 picture to produce widescreen output. Source is an exception, and a big one, but you can't make a generalization like that based on a single case where widescreens are better.

Rebuttal:

I wont be buying BF2 until they add Widescreen support. EA WAKE UP! All of the following games have official support for widescreen: Halflife 2, CS Source, World of Warcraft, Everquest 2, Far Cry, Doom 3, GTA: San Andreas PC, and I've heard Dungeon Seige 2 will be fully compatable as well.
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kmmatney: Supposedly. Somehow I got suckered into an NEC NDA over a *year* ago which I may even still be bound to. NEC had some neat stuff to show me concerning LED backlit LCDs and medical-grade LCD monitors, but unfortunately NEC also has an elitist mentality that has completely barred them from competing on a retail level with anyone. 10-bit panels are not new, I actually saw my first one at *Comdex 2002*. Fortunately I just made a friend at Eizo and I will definitely be asking them for this display.

>>Widescreen gaming is the only way to play IMO.>>
But most engines stretch or clip a 4:3 picture to produce widescreen output. Source is an exception, and a big one, but you can't make a generalization like that based on a single case where widescreens are better.Reply

I bought my Dell 2005fpw about 2 weeks before Anand reviewed it. I even have the same location and manufacturing date as the monitor they used in their review. I am more than happy with it. I think my Dell 2005fpw is probably my best hardware purchase in the last 3 years. I paid $682 Canadian for my Dell 2005fpw after taxes and shipping. That is 30% less than any comparable LCD in its size range, widescreen or not. Prior to owning my Dell 2005fpw I had a Samsung 1200NF and a Samsung 900nf. The NF series from Samsung are my favorite CRTs other than NEC/Mitsu and I still dont think they can compare to the 2005fpw. Widescreen gaming is the only way to play IMO.Reply

The reviewer wrote that the L2335 has a better screen than the Dell 2405.

Plus, the L2335 isn't for the average customer as it's listed as Business Monitor. If you go to HP's website, you can't find it under Home and Home Office LCDs. It's actually been upgraded to be the f2304 w/ speakers and is to be used as a MCE display.Reply

It is retarded when they crack open a monitor to show the insides. There's NO REASON to do it if we already know what kind of screen it has. It can't be upgraded. It can't be modified. It's just a hunk of silicon we've all seen before. Big deal. Reply

Is there anyway to benchmark this LCD against a 21" Trinitron Flat Tube CRT for image quality and other specifications? I currently have dual 21" CRT's for development and I would like to know if two of these monitors would be a suitable replacement.Reply

I work for LG and repair LCD monitors all day, and LG does make some good panels and monitors. But LG has screwed Dell for the last few years and Dell is probably going to drop them from all the Dell models. LG and Dell have been battling the "mura issue" as of late. Reply

I'm obviously missing something somewhere. Can someone give me a link that would explain the diff between SIPS and PVA? I have the Dell 2405FPW and so far its been awesome - and yes, I game with it :) There was obviously some preference for a SIPS panel that I just don't understand, and since I had considered the HP before I bought the Dell, I'd like to understand what I missed the first time around :)Reply

I've had this monitor for over a year. Back then it cost $1400 and was a steal compared to the Sony 23" and Samsung 24" LCDs both over $2000.

I've always enjoyed playing games on it and glad to see it get some props. I was jealous of the Dell 24" LCD for it's price and supposedly 12ms response time but I guess that's just marketing spin and the L2335 is actually more responsive. Nice ReviewReply